Lurie Gives Waymo Green Light to Prepare for Service to SFO

San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie and Waymo announced Tuesday the company would begin a testing process that would soon lead to a fully autonomous taxi service at San Francisco International Airport.

In the announcement, Lurie hailed the move as the city’s latest step to boost its tourist industry and bolster its economic recovery.

Waymo already operates at the main airport in Phoenix and announced earlier this month it would soon begin fully autonomous operations at San José Mineta International Airport. The company, owned by Google parent Alphabet, said its SFO service would provide “a safe, reliable, magical way for Bay Area residents and global visitors to connect” with the city.

Under the newly granted testing and operations permit, the robotaxi company will prepare for service to SFO in three steps, with human safety drivers behind the wheel at first.

Fully autonomous operations will begin with only Waymo and airport staff as passengers, eventually leading to paid autonomous service for the general public.

Exactly when airport customers might get to experience this “magical” service is unclear. In an email response to KQED’s questions about when public service will roll out, Waymo declined to offer a timeline, saying only that its initial testing phase will begin soon.

The company said in a statement that when public service begins, it will make pickups and dropoffs at SFO’s Kiss & Fly area adjacent to the airport’s rental car center. From there, passengers can ride SFO’s AirTrain to terminals. The company said it will explore other locations at the airport in the future.

The mayor’s office said the SFO permit will require Waymo to operate within strict safety and reporting conditions “to ensure dependable service for trips to and from SFO.” Among other things, the permit will require Waymo to get a further OK from airport officials before it begins paid service.

The move is the latest step Lurie has taken to help Waymo expand operations in the city. In March, he granted permission for the company to map SFO.

In April, he announced his intention to allow Waymo’s autonomous Jaguar SUVs to use a portion of Market Street that had been off-limits to private vehicles since 2020. Waymo launched service on the city’s principal commercial boulevard last month.